UAAP Board to discuss Bicol bubble during quarterly meeting

Once every three months, the Board of Trustees of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines convenes. 

This time around, the BOT will discuss the alleged Bicol bubble training camp of the University of Santo Tomas Growling Tigers.

“The past three to four months, the league had a lot of resolutions that they have to look at and concur with,” said one of the sources closely monitoring the situation.

“But they also have to look at what happened during the IATF meeting and the result of the UST investigation.”

Expected to attend the online meeting between the presidents of each member university are Bro. Raymundo B. Suplido, FSC of La Salle; Fr. Marcelo V. Manimtim, C.M of Adamson; Dr. Michael M. Alba of Far Eastern University; Dr. Renato Carlos H. Ermita, Jr. of National University; Dr. Ester A. Garcia of University of the East; Atty. Danilo Concepcion of University of the Philippines; newly implemented presidents Fr. Bobby Yap, SJ of Ateneo and Fr. Richard Ang, OP of UST; league executive director Rebo Saguisag; and legal consul Atty. Reggie Ukol.

UST will submit the conclusions of its findings to the BOT, as the school’s fact-finding committee ended its investigation on Thursday afternoon.

On the other hand, the league, represented by Atty Saguisag and Season 82 president Nonong Calanog, has met the Joint Administrative Order group twice this week already. The second meeting also saw Commission on Higher Education chairman Prospero De Vera in attendance.

During those meetings, Games and Amusement Board chairman Baham Mitra requested that the UAAP impose a possible sanction on UST if found guilty of negligence. However, the league’s Board of Managing Directors does not have the power to do so since the activity is not sanctioned by the UAAP, and there is no relevant rule in the league’s by-laws.

But if there’s a UAAP body in the league that can go beyond the books, it’s the BOT.

“We’ll see what will happen,” said another source, as the BOT has rarely been put in a predicament like this.